This paper provides an overview of the national policy framework for the provision of universal access to early childhood education in Australia. Introduction The imperative to provide universal access to early childhood education (ECE) is supported by a significant body of research that demonstrates the benefits of ECE for later life outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged...

This paper provides an explanation of the National Plan for School Improvement (NPSI) school funding model, including the new funding that will be provided to participating education systems and schools and the Australian Government’s funding for schools. Introduction If agreed to by all states and territories, the new school funding model that will resource the...

There is much anticipation about the future of school funding with proposed new arrangements for school funding scheduled to be presented to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in April this year. The meeting will be the culmination of the latest iteration of the debate about school funding that has been ongoing since the...

Following on from its election commitment to ensure preschool access for four-year-old children, the Australian Government is proceeding with its plans to provide access to ‘universal’ preschool education. This commitment is supported by an overwhelming body of evidence attesting to the efficacy of early childhood education for school and later life outcomes, as well as...

The considerable debate since 1996 about Commonwealth expenditure on schools has been driven by policy changes that have significantly restructured Commonwealth funding and influenced the relative funding share between the government and non-government schools sectors. In this Research Note Marilyn Harrington briefly explains these policy changes and the trends in Commonwealth funding for schools since...